Oasis is Hell - Exalted 2ed - IC

[Volthawk]

Fury chuckles when he hears what the dragon wants.

"Oh yeah, and they'll be like 'oh no, the water dragon doesn't like what we're doing, we'd better stop'. Fact is they don't care what you think about them. They don't care about we think.

[Dragnar]

Things Lost and Broken

Jania made a quick mental note of the direction, before packing the compass back into it's bag and glancing back at the crowd and the watcher within it. This just couldn't be a simple job, could it...

Spoiler

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(9d10)[5][10][10][9][9][3][10][2][8](66)

[MrPrim]

Dragon

”The Plaza of… Weeping and…,” Oriasta muttered without intending to.

The goddess’s eyes went wide for a moment and then she heard Fury laugh and make his comment, and the sheer absurdity of the situation seemed to hit her. Nervous laughter threatened to slip from her but she kept it tightly reigned, only a little quiver of her smile betraying anything.

”While I’d be happy to help Oasis in any way I can, I… I’m not sure if I’m the best choice for such a task. My purview is rejuvenation, reproduction, new life… I’m not really the adventuring into the Demon City type. Perhaps you could send someone more, qualified?”

[AmberVael]

Tea at Amalion's

Vana hides a smile behind her cup, quite content to listen while Amalion so abruptly changes her focus to Tewi. If this interpretation and insight so affected one of Malfeas's closest souls, then she knew it was something she wanted to pursue. Such reactions were what she savored- shock and curiosity, something that would grab attention, something that would capture the imagination.

Something, perhaps, that could change a world, little by little. Wasn't that in her grasp now? The possibility lingered in her mind, along with her desire to advance her power.

She is called out of her musing by Amalion's latest question. "Of course. The change has been terrifying and stressful for all involved, demon and human alike. I draw attention to the bright side of what they've gone through. I give respect to the tragedies, to give them closure so they might move on. I offer something beyond the stress and drudgery of their current difficulties with entertainment.
"The role of the entertainer is to be the heart and voice of the people, to express what needs to be expressed. They need hope more than ever, and so I remind them of heroes, of success in the past, and what could be- I celebrate our accomplishments, and invite them to revel in them by my side; after all, in the midst of shame, regret, tragedy, and defeat, there is still a need for joy. Indeed, that is when it is needed most."

The sorceress sets aside her cup and folds her hands, smiling at Amalion. "Don't you agree?"

[Flare]

Rose, still utterly silent, stifled a yawn at the conversation. It was interesting, but not for her. Regardless, she was fine to wait here, time mattered very little to her- she had an entire unlife waiting ahead of her-. But she did wonder. She closed her eyes, before they became completely black.

She did not sleep, though her skin grew cold and her breathing slowed. What she did breath out escaped her mouth as a frost. She was not even pretending to be dead. She was simply ignoring this particular world, and listening to the dead and distorted cries of those who would call themselves her Masters. She did not attempt to contact them, did not attempt to make them acknowledge her presence, she was simple content to attempt to understand what they were doing. Perhaps, she reasoned, she could figure out some hint of what they were planning.

[Gargulec]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

The assembled wanna-be world rulers accepted the gifts thankfully, though without any excessive enthusiasm. Quirks of Adam Chikyu's character has not been a novelty, no, not really.

'What is exposed calls down opposition' the Eclipse said to Punch, looking at him respectfully, as if he understood the question in deep and valued the insight it presented 'Our kind is wilful from its own nature, if they see an official body enforcing rules upon them, they shall take it as a point of honour to break free from their influence. Thus, to keep them in control, it is imperative that our steering is not obvious to them, so that they cannot see that they are being shaped. Otherwise, we shall fail, as you foresee' he smiled suddenly, his wrinkled face looking very friendly when adorned with such an ornament. 'And it is not beyond our abilities to keep our existence hidden, if we take the opportunity the current state chaos grants us. If our... agency takes roots before any new kings rise with their kingdoms, which is inevitable, if we will have the most exceptional units under our guidance since before they start becoming heroes and paragons, we may be able to stay in the shadows. It would be necessary, thought, to start raising the structures of our rule right now, to take the fullest possible use of the head start given to us.'

'My network is operational already' Jade suddenly cut in 'I can begin preparing Oasis for our influence as soon as the agreement is made.'

Of course, she did not even twitch. It was impressive to the point of being unsettling how effortlessly she seemed to stay so perfectly motionless.

'That is fortunate' Forsaken Sword smirked. 'Bartrand Mar' he addressed the Twilight with an utmost respect gleaming from each word he spoke 'I shall note that if we ever agree to become a committee, I will push to have us all oath-boud to ban inter-personal struggles. Of course' he added quickly, expecting the question 'that will most likely cause us to develop a set of proxies to wage shadow-wars against each other, but is an inevitable consequence of being in the potion of rulership. However, I trust our skills enough to believe that we will be able to maintain equilibrium of power and restraint in its abuse.'

'As for your concern about our inability to guide the Celestial Host as it grown in power, that has been considered already' the Quicksilver Falcon added 'If we maintain our essence growth at a steady and fast pace, we should be able to much any singular Solar in power, and together, we should be unstoppable. But that would come into the picture only in the case of a real emergency. The truth is, that the system we are willing to institute should, assuming everything works according the plans and expectations, provide a sort of invisible support for the other God-Kings' there was a trace of irony in that grandiose title 'we may not be able to always control them as they shall grow in power, but we will own the infrastructure. Without it, even the mightiest Solar will not be able to go against us. Also' a smile once more blossomed on his face 'the cache left by my previous incarnation contains more than trinkets. The biggest treasure there is...' he put a small, yellowish crystal in the middle of the table 'this. Contained within, and on a three similiar memory gems, are libraries of First Age lore, including countless schematics and complete artifacts designs. Whoever he was, he knew that knowledge will be of more use than items. This is not a leg, this makes us start a league ahead the rest of the Host. And all this will be freely available to our circle.'

'As for the honey tongued Zeniths' the warlord mused 'there are appropriate defences. As they can sway them, we can sway them back, or make them impervious to such influence with only a few applications of appropriate charms or subtle mutations spread through the populous. More, if we take control over the Ten Thousand Dragons, we shall have an army of henchman that can easily protect our endeavours from the less powerful attempts at breaking them, with word or force.'

'As for the control, I said it before, but I need to stress it more' the Regent's words were urging now 'we must take an absolute control over the infrastructure, and put as many Dragon-Blooded and Lunars as we can on our side, more or less directly. Should we manage, we will have the tools to effectively control entire Celestial Host - by force, by subtle influence or just by our ability to deny any troublesome Solar any access to artefacts, manses and such. All requests to Amalion should go through our hands, and it would be trifle to make some of them get denied. And that is only the tip of what we can when we control the flow of information and resources.'

'Which we already do, if I understand you correctly' Jade was overjoyed at the prospect, it did not take any charms to see that. 'Also, Twilight, do bear in mind that it is five against approximately one hundred, forty seven Solars and two hundred eighty nine Lunars. No trace of Sidereals in Oasis.'

'And that is one of the reasons of us being able to pull it through. And as for your plan, Bartrand Mar' the Dawn looked outside the window, towards the distant Cecelyne 'my armies are innumerable, after a fashion' he allowed a small pendant to fall from his hand to the table 'I hold control over an exquisitely powerful spawning-manse hidden with the Endless Desert. It is close to the Port Wrath for now, but within a year, it should drift out into Cecelyne by far enough to become almost undetectable, unless one knows where to look. The geomancy there can easily create and support between hundred and two hundreds of combat-ready demons every day. They are a very meagre troops, but can be supported with other denizens of Malfeas as commanders... the size of the army is too small for your idea, but it is an excellent one. By maintaining constant feeling of danger, staging raids at the fringe areas... yes, that can be aragned easily enough.

[Odd_Canuck]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

(OOC Note: Both the written and spoken parts are taking part at the same time, much to the confusion of all.)

Raising his eyes to the heavens like someone asking for a bolt from the sky to strike sense into people, Punch's caste mark starts to glow faintly as essence arms extend out of his back and quickly take on the form of a collaborate design presentation board, skywriting pen and a pointing stick that move on their own.

The pen quickly starts writing in the air, leaving tiny strings of cloud behind as words. "The problem with the plan is the mathematics don't scale*. Setting aside the Lunars, Dragonblooded and assorted other beings of power for a moment, we can chart the relative progression of power with the simple formula that essence x number of people x force multiplier from infrastructure. As you can see here, we few will continue to be overpowered unless we can get the force multiplier to 29.5 or higher. The problem being that we are all Solar Exalted, and as effective as an army, as effective as infrastructure is... I don't think we can get it to that high of a multiplier without anything short of first age infrastructure, which in turn by my projections based on a reduced population size will take approximately 38.5 years. The problem being that infrastructure will then be co-opted by the other Exalted."

"Others not limited. Can call demons, elementals. Make deals. No way to stop."

"While I applaud the individual efforts of Commander Harmonious Jade and Lord Forsaken Sword in preparation of the active portions of their respective foci, the overall plan still has significant flaws. However, as we all know a Dawn is capable of mowing down armies of demons on her own. A Copper Spider or other crafting focused Exalted is capable of preparing devices or whole races that exist to do nothing but destroy the hundreds of demons per day produced."

"Designs Good, resources short. Goals Good, need work."

"Yes, as my primary comments, the general goals of the proposal are... while somewhat ethically questionable, good ones. However there is not enough to draw the Exalted host together without them becoming a threat to us should we do this in secret. Larger enemies and focuses are needed, and not just making this land a habitable one. We need a vast militaristic focus for the Chosen to be distracted as well as a chance to peruse less aggressive tactics."

"How do we do this?"

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spending 5 motes on activating the arms

*- This is roughly what you see

[Zoronos]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

Bartrand frowned. Punch understood, as for the rest, he wasn't sure. His frown deepened at Forsaken Sword's commentary. Internecine war, with a Oath in place? He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "A properly worded oath could prevent the creation and usage of such proxies and cutouts. Besides, such would be a waste of resources. If we are all truly in this for no personal gain, then a shadow war between ourselves does not serve the overall goal. The only possible value would be as a training exercise of sorts, but the risks are too great. Any exercise of force, in whatever form, has a chance to reveal the source and mechanism of that force to an unintended observer. Use force often enough, even if in a proxy war, and we increase the chances someone will stumble onto the overall plan." Bartrand smirked slightly, "Roll the dice often enough, and sooner or later you'll roll the hard six on accident. Each time we use force, we must weigh the potential value of that force's result against the potential downside of the exposure of that mechanism. Unnecessary usages would lead inevitably to our downfall. Especially if other Solars become interested."

He started scribbling in his notebook, momentarily obsessed with a point of trivia. His pencil sketched a complex web of points, lines, and squiggles. He prepared to say something, but then turned the page. Nobody was interested in the motic structure of charms, and their variances. He began to scribble numbers.
He looked up, and scratched his chin for a moment, then energized his own bracers of Universal Crafting, to write onto the charts that Punch had prepared in the air above them all. Numbers and mathematics appeared, quantities of demons, expected essence usage, casualty rates and predictions, broken down by demon type. "I agree with Mr. Chikyu. Attempting to hold the other Solars down will be ineffective in the long run; infrastructure is simply too easy to create here. Especially if one of them manages to get a hold of a Wyld pocket or Protoshinmaic Vortex before I do. Speaking of which, I need a Wyld pocket preferably, or if not, a PSV. Ideally, we convince whomever supplies it to not give any to anyone else. I have a few... bargaining chips that I'm working on. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. Ah, yes, infrastructure."

An additional set of calculations in dark cobalt appeared in the air as a calligrapher's brush of solidified essence drew characters onto the display Punch had begun. "As you can see, the expected conversion rates by even a modestly skilled Solar or Lunar can quickly turn the entire population of Oasis to any given cause. And a properly trained Solar can build a workshop suitable for Artifact creation in under a week. We have to keep in mind we're not working with the old ratios here. It's not 1 Solar or Lunar per few million or billion mortals anymore. It's one per 120 or so."

Bartrand paused, and folded his hands in front of him. "We need to create a new type of infrastructure. We need to make the other Solars dependent upon us, but not because we're strong, but because we can be the helping hand that lifts them up. Let us be the ones everyone comes to for supplies and help, and we'll gladly provide it, for free or nearly free. Then, in the future, when we require their compliance we can leverage those favors. Instead of the hand that attempts (and fails) to hold them down, we can be the hand that lifts them up."

"Anyway, as to the demon war thing, we're missing an important point here. There's only 50,000 mortals. Once the 'Rogue Demon Threat' becomes evident, Forsaken Sword can rally the Celestial host to repulse them, and magnanimously suggest that the Celestial host fight the demons, without Mortal armies or aid, as mortals and terrestrials are too precious to endanger in the conflict. That means 7 days of spawning would create an army of 1400 combat demons, plenty to challenge a host of 450 (at most) Celestials, at least for a week. Sure, the celestials would prevail, but 3 to 1 odds, especially considering some Celestials are non-combatants would at least give them enough of a fight. And there would be no let up. Once a week, every week... presuming I didn't design you another such manse to double your expected forces. We're not trying to kill Celestials here, just convince them there's a dire threat, and that we need to unite under the Visionary Leadership of Forsaken Sword to defend Oasis. Also has the side benefit of giving the other Twilights motivation to work on Oasis-defense-mechanisms, instead of whatever kooky projects they were planning on."

[Sallera]

Tea at Amalion's

Tewi nods thoughtfully, although wise was not something he had been called often. "I have been told before to beware the Eyes of Orabilis; I see it is a warning I will have to take seriously." How seriously was still a matter for question; he would have to learn more of the subject later. There were ways around most restrictions back in Creation, but here, the rules had a tendency to be... part of the landscape.

He doesn't reply to Vana's question, leaving that for Amalion, but he smiles inwardly at her words. Joy in the middle of tragedy. It wasn't that she was wrong, just that it was such a Solar thing to focus on. Always standing out, doing the unexpected, and forcing everyone else to go along with them. Well, that's just part of what makes life down here interesting.

[Gargulec]

Things Lost and Broken

The song of soulsteel being drawn accompanied with a ling, rustling sound of the orichalcium sword cutting through air was enough to catch the attention of the gathered. Momentarily, they grew motionless, they deeply-seated eyes set at you warily, hands slowly travelling down to the belts, to the things strapped to them.

And then...

'We've been had!' uttered one of the men of honour gathered, his voice revealing the unmistakable Halsanti accent. Within a heartbeat, weapons were drawn, flamepieces and flamewands clicking as the firedust charges grew very, very close to bursting. The dragon-king and the Abyssal found themselves starring down many gleaming barrels, held by people with very twitchy fingers.

Around that point of time, the slightly obese man coughed up something, spat on the ground, and wandered away. Then, the realization had hit you that he was, in fact, ogling the flame-duck, not observing you, which, given that the elemental had loosened her shirt a fair bit, was understandable, if a bit gross. The question whether your anklok truly believed in the man being a spy, or just wanted to guard the honour of his protagee remained unanswered in face of a far more serious problems.

'You, when did the Speakers of the Silent word buy you?' the most seriously looking man asked, aiming his elegant weapon at the dragon-king's face, with his free hand taking down an equally tastefully designed black hat from his head, keeping it at the level of his heart. 'How dishonourable, hiring such freaks into the Family...' he added, in a very exalted tone.

'Boss' one of the other man of honoured dared to ask 'are we sure...?'

'Who else would dare to draw weapons in the presence of Night Deliverers?' the apparent leader of the group snapped back. 'Now, before you die... how did it happen that you have learned of the location of our endeavour?! Speak, and we shall make your death swift!

The dragon-king's nostrils widened, a small cloud of vapour shooting into the air. His tail begun to slowly travel from one his side to another, leaving a slight trail in the thin layer of a silver sand that covered everything here.

Violence was in the air.

Dragon

The Lunar's remark, combined with the inability of the Dragon to smash the caustic (at least, in his eyes) Full Moon where he stood shattered the already weakened composure of the mighty expression of the element of water.

'HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME?!' he bellowed, the thundering sound washing over the entire Island, shaking leaves out of the trees, troubling the still waters of the lake around... even the other two mighty serpents stirred in their deep slumber as the growl of the Water Dragon dispersed in their own sheer elemental weight. 'You are nothing!' he continued to snarl, coiling around his pillar so tightly that it begun to crack. 'A servant to the Dragons who gives the life for you to nurture! If we order you to do something... you do not second guess it!

With a mighty crash, he slithered down the pillar once more, this time however straightening his massive body so that it towered over the goddess, shadowed her.

'You will save that nymph or I will have someone more fitting take your position you... humanlike wench!'

The insult, likely, was intended to hurt, but then again, the Water Dragon found himself lacking in the department of acidic remaks as well.

Tea at Amalion's

'Amidst all that sham' the demon replied long while after Vana's words echoed with their inner fire among the simple, bare walls 'drudged and broken dreams...'

She cut abruptly, putting down the cup back on the plate. The porcelain clangoured, the teapot shaking for a moment, almost falling to the side. Yet, the demon's hands seemed as steady as always. At least now.

Delicately, she stood up and clasped her hands, strongly. The sound rang down the corridor, and without a slightest delay, a valet stood in the doorway, bowing deeply, silent and still, a small mirror of polished obsidian in his hands. Delicately, Amalion picked it up, looking at her own reflection... it seemed pointless, but the soul of Malfeas had to be seeing something more than the veil in the reflective surface, or she would not be starring at it so intensely.

'...this is still a beautiful world?' she muttered. If it was to be a statement, she could not find enough strength in her to say it like that. And so, a question flowed from her lips. 'Those were her words...' she whispered in a hushed voice before you had the time to answer.

'Let me say, Lady of the Smouldering Mantra' the mirror returned to the servant's hands, and the demon vanished as abruptly as he had appeared. Amalion turned back to you 'that I sympathize deeply with your goals. I shall mark you, and your companions as favoured guests in my manse bodies, so that you can always find a safe haven there, when the tempest is about to overtake you. In turn, however, I shall allow myself to watch your steps very carefully and with utmost curiosity.'

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Vana gains an Ally worth 3 dots (due to the loyalty not being absolute)

Meanwhile, Rose did not have the opportunity to listen to the interesting exchange of words between the demon and the Solar. She tuned in to the Whispers of the fallen Titains... and they were all around her all of sudden, light dimming, the walls cracking, the stench of decay and rust, this fragrance of the Labyrinth overwhelming her once more, numbing all other senses.

Expect hearing.

closer end closer end closer cloSER! END!

Soon united, soon at one NO LIES FROM HIM, CLOSER END! soon HE comes sun HE devours true brother, true mercy TRUE FRIEND!

And then, the words faded too, leaving only a piercing cry of a hunting horn ringing in the Abyssal's ears.

Or Better than Kings, Gods

The assembled took a long moment to study the data and calculations presented by Adamu in a thoughtful silence.

'Those concerns are more than valid' the Eclipse agreed 'however, there seems to be a number of fallacies within your calculations. The biggest one of them appears to be that you present it as if the rest of the Host together was to be united and turned against us, direct all their efforts to thwart or agendas. This is now what we have planned, however. As long as we remain secret, we should be able to utilize power plays and struggles among other Lawgivers to direct their actions against each other or different threats not associated with, thus making them unable to unite their assets and powers against us. The intended subduing of the Ten Thousand Dragons to us is not factored as well.'

'Also' the Dawn added 'I believe that you are actually overstating the capabilities of a number of Solars. While it is true that it is within their border of possibilities to become one man armies, or sway entire nations with but a single speech, such level of puissance requires a dedication that many Lawgivers seem to lack. Truth be told' he smirked 'for example Twilight crafter and sorcerer Arianna, while in possession of a considerable power is not focused enough to put it to a use... at least yet, and when she will finally be there, we should consider her ours body, mind and spirit.'

''But that is a digression' the Regent smiled with understanding 'no matter how we put it, it is obvious that we need to intensify our efforts at raising and maintaining control over the infrastructure of the Oasis. As for the lack of resources in our hands, there seems to be an easy solution of this problem. But this I will present in a moment. As for your concerns regarding the infighting within our circle, the sad reality is that it appears to be almost impossible to avoid in the long run. By presenting ourselves an appropriate channels and venues of such struggles in advance, thanks to properly worded oaths, we account for the damage control even before the damage is done. Your concerns about secrecy are more than valid, but I am inclined to trust that if we ever reach the influence that will give us the fields and reasons for infighting, we will have learned about maintaining discretion already.'

'Regarding the Wyld Pocket you claim to need, Copper Spider' Jade suddenly spoke up, making Forsaken Sword who was already preparing to deliver yet another speech of his sit down and give her a quick nod 'the demon Makarios owns me a favour, and he is likely in possession of means to generate one, given his close associations with the Fair Folk. And' she raised her hand, the motion strangely unfitting her still stature 'regarding the size of the population, we can use it to our advantage, remember. Is each Solar is only able to rally a hundred or two of mortals, eliminating such a unit would be trifle, either by mental influence or force, if necessary. Mortals die easily, after all, and only in large numbers is killing them a problem' the observation she said calmly, not changing her tone at a slightest bit, as if it was the most casual thing to speak of. 'And if we really need to control the mortals, we only need to seize the sources of food and shelter...'

'Harmonious Jade is right' the Eclipse once more cut in 'the three upstart dragons are the only source of resources necessary to provide food and water to the mortal populations. And they should be easy to subdue, being barely more than glorified elementals. They would become one of our key assets.'

'More than that, Quicksilver Falcon' the dark skinned woman sighed 'more than that. Make someone starve, and he will do everything he can to get something to eat, everything. Beg, steal, murder, serve... I know of this well enough' there was the slightest hint of... regret? in her voice as she spoke of it.

'As for the war' the Forsaken Sword finally seized the opportunity to speak 'I agree with Bartrand's points, this is how we should try to resolve it. And the idea of creating a chain of war manses is truly a spectacularily good one, especially if we manage to create a geomantic nexus for those manses, preferably one concealed as just another ordinary manse in, for example, Arianna's hands, given how she is not associated with us at the slightest once more, he smirked, as if the mention of the Twilight made him somehow amused 'that we will be able to use to control the rest of the manses remotely.'

[Flare]

Rose inclined her head as color- or some of it, her skin was still pale- slowly returned to her skin. The frost and flakes of ice she breathed out slowly stalled, as her eyes opened. They flashed pure black for a moment, then returned to her normal color. She noted that, at the very least, they weren't angry at her, though she did need to, at the least, figure out what was going on. Someone with more knowledge then her, at the least. Something about Sol, maybe? Or perhaps something involving Yu-Shan. She tapped one long blue nail against her lips, thinking. She had no idea of the conversation the missed, and didn't particularly care.

[Sallera]

Tea at Amalion's

Tewi sets down his tea with some reluctance, steepling his fingers with a quiet bow of his head and watching the exchange closely. There seemed to be something notable underlying the agreement; memories he greatly wished to catch a better hint of, but did not dare for fear of offending. Even he had his limits on what he would risk.

Significant, that. Solar or not, Lady Vana is definitely an interesting one - and she's going to have a lot of influence now, if I read the situation right. Could she actually achieve her goals? Even with this, probably not... but she had defied expectations once already today, and either way, it could well be enjoyable to watch her try.

"An auspicious meeting, it seems. I, too, look forward to seeing what you might accomplish, Lady Vana." He had no intention of helping her outright, but words cost no coin, and they were nothing he had in short supply.

[MrPrim]

Dragon

Oriasta stood firm, unmoving as the dragon approached. She looked up at the massive and puissant elemental, her lips set in a line. ”Well, if that’s the way you want it to be,” she muttered.

Oriasta turned her back on the elemental and began walking towards the exit of the hidden grotto. ”I will see what I can do,” she called back without turning around.

The nerve!

[Volthawk]

Fury raises an eyebrow, before putting his helmet back on.

"You really should work on your insults. Oh, and be more respectful to her next time, you hear? The status our situation has put you in doesn't mean you can be rude to the lady."

He then turns and heads off after Oriasta, not staying to see how the dragon reacts to that. Oriasta was off now, and he still felt like he needed to keep an eye on her. Especially if she's doing what the dragon wanted, and heading into Malfeas proper.

[AmberVael]

Tea at Amalion's

"You honor me highly, lady Amalion." Comes Vana's swift response. She stands smoothly and confidently reaches out to take Amalion's hand and give it a respectful kiss. "I promise that your support and attention will not be misplaced- and I will endeavor to ensure all you bestow on me is returned in kind. Twice today you have bestowed your blessing upon us; I will remember your generosity, and will certainly lend my strength to you if you ever require it."

A small grin changes Vana's tone from formal to more relaxed as she speaks again. "And I would gladly accept another chance to share your hospitality."

She adds a small nod of acknowledgment to Tewi, smiling thankfully at him.

[DaWrecka]

Things Lost and Broken

"Night Deliverers?" scoffed The Artificer of Ten Thousand Blasphemies, his tone drenched in scorn. "Speakers of the Silent Wind? Do you truly believe yourself to be so important? Do you truly consider yourself so significant as to have even earned the acknowledgement of higher powers? Do not fool yourself. Do you think your enemy today is a mere demon, perhaps? Fools! I am a deathknight! A Chosen of Oblivion! You and your enemies alike are beneath our notice. We have more important matters than the squabbles of narcissistic mortals too simple to choose their battles with care! Stand aside, and I shall... forget... this... this disrespect. Continue to stand against us, however, and you will experience the terrible power of the Void firsthand when it consumes your souls. Assuming, of course, that I do not capture them, and seal you in unending agony within soulsteel. Another daiklave would certainly be useful... Or perhaps a powerbow." His mouth split, showing sharp teeth, his fangs taking centre-stage. "You would quickly come to regret I did not merely cast you into the Void, rest assured."

Spoiler

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Manipulation + Presence roll (presumably) for intimidation:
(4d10)[9][8][8][8](33)

[Zoronos]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

Bartrand resisted the urge to stand and pace back and forth. His hand twitched slightly. The hubris of these three Exalts was perhaps astounding. He arched an eyebrow at the repeated mentions of Arianna. Did Forsaken Sword have some connection to that self-important women that was not previously mentioned? He'd have to ask about that... later.

He winced at the inaccuracies the Eclipse and Night held forth. His voice was smooth, but a very close observer would note that Bartand was slightly annoyed. "I would not say I *need* a Wyld pocket, simply that it would be an incredibly significant comparative advantage if I could obtain one, and prevent others from attaining access to similar. As a corollary, there is a source of food and water other than the Elementals; my manse has an essence-extractor that feeds into..."

Bartrand stopped short, as he quickly noticed the eyes of the other Solars begin to glaze over. "Suffice that it grows food and produces clean water, without any involvement from those dragons. Raising further so-equipped manses could remove dependency upon the dragons. Furthermore, with a Wyld Pocket and the Wyld Shaping Technique, we can form demesnes with Elemental or Celestial aspects, presuming the group visiting Amalion secured the required permissions. Anyway, such a Wyld Pocket could also solve the population issues, and perhaps, with some big portion of luck, also solve the water and food issues by Wyld Shaping up the appropriate constituent components."

He made a throwing gesture, and his bracers projected a series of orange numbers onto the tapestry that Adam had woven in the air. "These are the projected food requirements of our population. As you can see, given access to a pocket to power Wyld Shaping, we can cover far more than the necessary outlays for the entire population with just a few applications. To further your example, Miss Jade, people will go where the food is. If we can promise to feed them reliably, we can easily bring the *entire* mortal population into our camp, so to speak. We can make the elemental dragons irrelevant."

He leaned back and folded his hands in front of him "Also, I should not require your 'favors' to obtain one, if Makarios is indeed capable of providing one. I have something my assistant and I are working on that should interest the Dream Merchant very much; a powerful narcotic that works on demons. Such a lucrative product should secure his assistance, especially if we can modify it to send the resultant demonic dreams on to him for processing."

[Odd_Canuck]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

Giving a slight sigh over people missing the obvious Punch clarifies "Hope for best. Plan for worst. Otherwise, we fail."

"Additionally we have a small problem with keeping people distracted with a small war... indeed several of them. To wit;

Anyone that saves the people from the 'rampaging demonic hoards' will be getting the popular support of the people. Exactly what we need.

Framing other people for being the source of the 'rampaging demonic hoards' is decidedly unethical. That may work in some areas, but I'd have issues being aware of the activity given the laws in my city.

Ironically such a demon hoard will likely invite response from the forces of Malfeas who are trying to prevent breaking of the terms of Oasis.

Food and Water are in short supply now, but that will not be the case forever, or even for long. Craft focused Exalted can have the matter resolved shortly. Indeed, I have already completed plans to resolve the need for personal water for the populace, a simple and cheap device to reduce the need for food crops and expect to be creating better solutions for the food issues than the current less than ideal prototype solutions."


"Wyld Shaping good for population, not needed otherwise"

"Indeed, my DCE, or Demonic Corps of Engineers is in need of projects to focus on. I currently have them producing roughly 30 flat-pack ready to assemble housing units a day, and while a useful trade item, I fear the demonic market is becoming saturated with the novelty and the Oasis market can't afford it even if I drop the selling price to cost. I greatly dislike leaving them with nothing to do, and there is little left that they can expand on in Bartertown without a greater population to support it. We are operating at barely 12.5% occupancy, and even then optimal population density would be at least twenty times the current population.

Help me get permission to build manses to feed the population, and I'm fairly certain I can build one up in Bartertown... maybe even rebuild the Forge into one. And anywhere else you feel is appropriate of course, we can power-web them together."

"Thought: Attack Bartertown with demons?"

"Hummm, if they focus on destroying the city walls, not the gates please, and the buildings and avoiding hurting people... that would allow me to keep the DCE busy in the short term and establish a pattern of 'evil demons in the wastes'. Note however, this in no way prevents or delays other Solars and Exalted from gathering elemental or demonic forces. Indeed, some may have this very same idea as you right now."

"Bartrand: Narcotic. If not needed, trade in Bartertown? Established demon market."

[Zoronos]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

Bartrand nodded, taking a moment to adjust some of the numbers his bracers were displaying in the orange light, corrections appearing in glowing yellow.

"I agree with your points Mr Chikyu, and it occurred to me as well. We really should be planning for the worst case, which as has been illustrated, would be the combined Exalted host. The best way to avoid having to plan to deal with them all would be convincing as many as possible that following us is in their best interest, and so doing what we can to ingratiate ourselves, whether through heroics or otherwise lending aid."

He stroked his chin at the mention of attacking Bartertown. It seemed a good idea, but he'd have to run casualty estimates. Attacking such a population concentration would be dangerous. "While they are not my demons, that seems a good point to make the first attack of the war a strike against Bartertown. It gives a solid premise for why our circle specifically would be leading the response, and give natural legitimacy to naming Forsaken Sword and yourself as commanders of the response. Anyway, I realize and agree that Wyld Shaping isn't the only possible solutions to the water problem, it is an easy and fast one, and one that we can keep to ourselves for the time being. The downside to a Genesis solution to the water problem is that we would not be able to control the water supply. While convenient for everyone, it does not move the plan forward. Wyld shaping is also a good solution since it can create not just food and water, but arable farmland. Between that and Provider Manses, and yes, my manse is already configured to provide food for a large quantity of people, we should swiftly be able to bring the mortal population into concentrations we control such as Bartertown, the area around the Forge, and any other areas we choose. If we control the mortal populace, we have defacto control of the Exalted host."

Bartand leaned forward over the table, and hurriedly scratched some numbers."Depending on the deal we make with Makarios, Bartertown would be an ideal distribution point for the narcotic. It would increase traffic through the town by demons, and likely increase intro-species commerce. That said, we haven't done any tests yet on humans, and I'd be concerned that if demons were taking the drug, humans might start, and the last thing I want is a drug-addled populace."

[Odd_Canuck]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

Punch points out the rough casualty figures, and then crosses them out and replaces them with a set in the single digit range. pointing at the Night and Dawn castes, Punch monotones "Distraction. Solar fight in Arena".

"And just to clarify the principal reason behind wanting the food generation in Bartertown is simply because it's easy to hide the origins. Port Wrath is likewise an agreeable location for such a production facility. The issue of the drug is a simple one. Document it's effects and set the price accordingly high. Demons are the ones that have all the resources right now, and putting a high price on the drug not only keeps it out of the hands of most people, it encourages more profit. More than one demon in Bartertown is there on a year and a day service contract in exchange for some luxury service or event that they decided to indulge."

"Wyld Shaping Problem: Yozi"

"Ah, and finally the water issue... actually my plan was a number of purification pump systems, each transferring approximately 12 million gallons a day from the bottomless depths of Kimbery up, through a purification artifact and into a distribution system. Harmonious Jade and her associates would be no doubt highly interested in this for the obvious reasons."

[Gargulec]

In the Market

Spoiler

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Dragon scene has ended, yielding a delicious 3XP to the involved parties. Also, Fury and Oriasta got around 4 hours worth of Essence recovery, with 4m/h rate.

The lovingly, masterfully crafted gate that separated the Oasis from the rest of the Demon Realm stood before the goddess and the Lunar, in its full awe-inspiring glory.

From Ligier's own workshop it came, in his own fiery forge, he gave shape to the jade and orichalcium, in his own vats he dissolved countless demons so that the gate would be more than a mere work of a hammer and an anvil, but a being with a soul on its own. And it did show.

The massive wing of solid, tainted jade, green in colour had been meticulously engraved with the shapes of the beings that gave their souls so that the material would carry a metaphysical weight. Demons of all kinds, from massive erymanthoi and graceful teodozjia to the lowly baidek and aalu adorned it, their outlines inlaid with orichalcium, gleaming emerald in the light of the Green Sun. Shapes they were frozen in were given out in such a level of detail that one would be easily forgiven for expecting them to break free from the jade that surrounded them to continue their vivid, maddened dance through the streets and alleys of Malfeas. However, not even the utter mastery of the pose revealed in full detail the incomparable craft of the Demon Emperor fetich. The infinite genius lied in the engravings' eyes. Wide-open and still, yet hiding a maelstrom of awe and terror within, the expression of one witnessing its own lord at his splendour unfurled. They often said that no mortal could gaze into those eyes and avert his sight without crying a hymn of praise to Ligier.

And this was still the smallest and least impressive of the gates, surrounded only by a tiny encampment, barely hundred tents big. A sad and dreary place, silent barring the echoes of the City behind the wall. No important trade took place here, no influential Solar or Lunar decided to claim this tiny population as his own. Of beings supernatural, only a few dragon-bloods dwelt here, ones of low breeding and low position, trying to make ends meet far outside of the mighty's notice. Behind the Lunar and the goddess, the small town's main plaza was, if one would be allowed to use such a big words to describe something that pathetic. An old, wizened Immaculate was preaching now, his voice week and feeble. From what could be heard, he was teach the mortals of the values of the work, but even as a Terrestrial, he could do little to break the apathy that ruled supreme over this place.

'The Plaza is not far from here, my lady' one of the gate guards, a young boy with a dull spear (and accidentally, one of Oriasta's worshippers) said 'finding it, I think, should not be hard. Should I open the gates for you? It is dangerous outside, please, make sure that nothing happens to you.'

[Dragnar]

Jania could hardly resist rolling her eyes at the presumptuousness of these mortals. She would put decent odds on the Dragon King alone being able to fight them off. With the deathknight as well it was hardly a contest, and she wasn't entirely useless in a fight herself either. Still, getting into a fight here would not makings any easier for them. And so, turning back to face the men with a sigh, she quickly attempted to diffuse the situation before violence broke out.
"Please, we were just passing through Port Wrath on our way elsewhere. Whatever your plans are, and whoever the Speakers of The Silent Word are, we have nothing to do with it. Now if everyone would simply lower their weapons, we can be on our way and pretend we heard nothing."

Spoiler

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(8d10)[4][8][5][9][4][1][10][10](51)
Edit: should probably say what that roll IS... Presence + charisma

[Volthawk]

Fury, back into his usual form when out and about - his warform, puts a clawed hand onto the boy's shoulder and grins.

"That's why I'm here, kid."

[Gargulec]

Tea at Amalion's

The demoness' hand was chilly under touch, smooth and hard, of marble more than of a flesh. But that would be expected of a being such as her.

'Truly' she said, accepting Vana's kiss 'it has been an auspicious and most fortunate meeting. I have dispatched a soul of mine to deliver the requests back to the Oasis, so that you are not needlessly burdened. And I am quite glad that you are satisfied with my hospitality. Let us hope that in Their will, you will soon both have the opportunity to cross the threshold of my manses again, so that we meet.'

She gave you all a bow, and taking the now-empty plate and cups, turned back and left the chamber, the echoes of her footsteps ringing for a moment from the corridor, but soon fading.

The visit was over.

***

Outside had changed while you were discussing matters with Amalion, subtly, but still obviously enough for you to notice. The brazen leaves begun to fall from the black-iron branches, spiralling in the strong, chill wind, covering the road outside with a gleaming carpet for you to walk on.

The flowers that grew among the sharp grass begun to bloom, and if not for the wind, the air would be stiff with their heavy scent of a burnt incense. Even now, as you walked down the path, it was almost overwhelming, and certainly numbing to the senses.

The light above changed, too, shifting in hue from a subtle silver to a delicate green, in preparations for your return to the Ligier-lit lands. In the distance, a music was playing, the echo that gave this manse its name. With each step, the tune grew stronger, more defined. Outlines of the Demon-City crazed architecture glimmered in the air, not yet fully formed, but still present. Entering the domain of Amalion was a violent, abrupt act - but leaving was a slow, steady process.

Zsofika waited for you patiently, sitting cross-legged on the gravel, her face turned to the angylkae lying down to her side, pressed tightly to the dark body of her creator, fingers drawing a slow, but ultimately peaceful melody from the harp of time. They seemed strangely serene, both of them, the hunter's hand stroking the angylkae's head idly, a smile you have not expected from her playing on her lips. She nodded at you, acknowledging your presence, but put a finger to her mouth, as to show you not to disturb to peaceful scene.

And it was then that the transition back to Malfeas was complete. The gravel path beneath your feet melded into solid basalt, the light of Ligier rained down on you, and the music of Amalion's manse drowned in the cacophony of bells, horns and voices.

Spoiler

Show

End of the scene brings a grand total of 6XP to each of the participating. Also, it is the time for you to determine what to do now.

Things Lost and Broken

'You heard her!' the Dragon-King growled, stepping forward and swinging his massive weapon in the air, small clouds of dust rising from the ground around him on the air currents caused by the massive slab of orichalcium cutting through air with such a quickness. 'Let us pass, for we are inconspicuous traveller, in no way related to the criminal-humans you speak of!'

All barrels were suddenly pointing to him, and you could almost hear the sound of the firedust getting ready to bath the anklok in a sea of flame. The unspoken question hanging in the air was "and what if it does not stop him?".

The most likely answer was "dismemberment".

'Boss' one of the mobsters stuttered after a brief moment of tense silence 'they have a deathknight... and that...'

'Turn back or I will rip your hearts and offer them to the Sun so that he purifies the wickedness that is you!' the voice of your irreplaceable lizard companion boomed. At the end of the alley, a small crowd gathered, curiously looking at you. If the gang wanted to have privacy, you have just sent it to, nomen omen, Hell.

'Go get 'em, dragon!' somebody from the gathered shouted.

'This is ridiculous!' the leader of the mobsters sighed, lowering his weapon and ordering his men to do the same. Suddenly, the air started to seem a lot less deadly than before.

And that was probably just the thing your anklok waited for.

Moving faster than he should be able to, almost blurring in your eyes, the massive Dragon-King lunged into the clustered Night Deliverers, throwing most of them aside without any effort. His clawed hand tightened over the leader's throat, throwing him off the ground.

'Never again threaten me, gangster human!' he hissed, and threw the man... and using the flat of his daiklave as an improvised bat, smashed into him before he had the opportunity to land on the ground.

You have not seen that particular gangster again... though he made quite a crash on impact, from what you could hear.

[Flare]

The meeting finally done, Rose rises slowly from the sofa, but it is a a very unnatural motion. As she slowly rises to her feet without her hands or, indeed, the rest of her body moving at all. Her knees simply slowly straighten, pulling her upwards and to her full height without any additional motion. Her sword follows along, into it's normal position, as they walk out, though she says nothing or does nothing, other then to incline her head at Amalion as she leaves the house. Though her sense feel quickly overwhelmed at the feeling around her, she manages to shake them off- pretty as they were, it was not for a Warrior to be overwhelmed by scenery, particularly an Ash Child. It was quite pretty though, the little girl from the North inside of her noted.

When the group had finally left Amalion's Zone and returned to Zsofika and the Harpist, she frowned. Obviously the creature was lying and attempting to gather sympathy. She considered speaking or not, to make her intentions known, but finally shrugged. She looked at the other two. "I believe I will be returning to the Oasis." she spoke to them, simply and quietly. She just wished to go back to her home before the smells and sights overwhelmed her. Her heels clinking together, she slowly walked past the two demons. The book at her side jingled with the strands of hair and bells taken from Zsofika's head, and she spared her a glance, but no more.

[Sallera]

Tea at Amalion's

"Safe travels, then, Knight." Tewi offers Rose a polite nod and a wave as she departs, although he himself lingers near the exit from Amalion's unseen manse until she is some distance away. Not exactly how I expected my first meeting with a Knight to go. Which of us is the misguided one, I wonder?

Well, that would keep; other business calls, and he turns back to the others, his face a troubled mask. "Zsofika, would you accompany me back to my manse? Amalion's words were not for us alone, and there's other business we should discuss, but this isn't exactly the best place for it." He glances at Vana, with a slight tilt of his head in invitation. "You'd be welcome as well, of course, Lady Vana, should you be interested." Tewi sighs mentally at that; had he really just willingly tried to involve a Solar in his business? No, it's her business too. She's as bound to this oath as I am, and as much of a bother as the thing may be, we oughtn't neglect it.

[Gargulec]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

'So, provisions are not a big issue in the long run' Forsaken Sword nodded 'that removes a concern from us, but also a powerful tool, given how we will not be able to perfeclty control every source of food and water without drawing an unnecessary attention to our circle, even if the entire infrastructure is in our hands.'

'Still, we will have a number of water and food sources in our hands' the Regent cut in 'that, if we make them important enough, should become an important asset.'

'No arguing with that' the Dawn acknowledged, tipping his head to the Eclipse.

'The manse permissions had been taken care of' the Quicksilver Falcon added, turning to Punch 'If Amalion stays true to her reputation, we should be able to start geomantic engineering as soon as the bureaucracy processes our requests. Most of the manse-raising charters are signed in blanco, and thankfully' he smiled 'I have managed to put myself in the position of the one who distributes them through Oasis. Certainly, there are numerous Dragon-Bloods or other lesser Exalts and essence-channellers that could be made into owning you a favour if you get them a charter for their own manse.'

'The attack on Bartertown, however' the warlord sighed 'is out of the picture, for the time being, given how I am not able to march anything larger than a raiding party from my encampments that far into the Oasis' territory.'

The host, as if to assist him, flicked a finger. A map of Oasis, rendered in golden hues sparked over the table, hovering a few inches over the flat. The Dawn thanked him, and quickly traced a path through the map, his finger leaving a trail of crimson. A few characters appeared over the line, giving the distance.

'As you can see, my encampments are over eight hundred miles from Bartertown, and there are at least few major population nodes on the way, including the territories claimed by that Lunar defector, Klantarch' he described, shrugging, as if to prove that he is helpless in this regard for now.

'Of course we should be planning for the worst, but now, our operation is in the preliminary phases. We do not have to opportunity to form contingency plans at this moment. We need to start our actions, and see how Oasis reacts before we can start establishing plans for critical situations the Eclipse muttered, annoyed. 'And I am not happy with this, either. But if we start soon, and get a decent hold on our capabilities, then we should be able to.'

'So, in short, we are in the dark?' Jade smirked.

'And all our plans are based on the assumption that things do not turn for the worst on the each possible step, yes' the Dawn grated his teeth. 'Still, what Bartrand says, is as usual for him, very correct. Each of us need to become a hero and a paragon, as well as establish a wide array of clients and contacts to use.'

'Barring miss Jade, obviously' the Regent specified. 'If we want her to operate as our sword, which we do. Or lancet.'

'Sword, no' the dark skinned girl said 'lancet, gladly. Also, Twilight, there is a slight problem with your plan. Makarios will not be interested in a new narcotic, he is above such petty markets. His trade is in dreams, and dreams only, and only if you have a wonder of gossamer that is going to amaze him to spare you may be able to buy a spark of Wyld from him.'

'And I would like to point out that a new drug is not going to be a huge thing in Malfeas. Even if it is a very strong, addictive hallucinogen' the warlord expressed his scepticism 'the saturation of the markets with various narcotics is incredibly high here, and something is merely a hallucinogen is not going to get much interest in the city were liquefied screams of a tortured children are considered a good relaxant.'

[MrPrim]

In the Market

Oriasta bestowed the young gate guard with a a radiant smile and plucked one of the flowers from behind her ear. Moving forward, she delicately placed the flower behind the young man’s ear. ”Thank you for your concern, it’s very sweet. I’m certain that I have nothing to fear with Fury here.”

Oriasta began to ask the gate guard to open the door before her eyes were pulled back to the scene before her. This place… it was a failure. What was the point of escaping destruction only to come to a place like this and give up all hope? She needed to do something for these people… but she had a mission already….

Oriasta plucked another flower from her hair and held it up. Its petals were a brilliant blue, streaked with white. The goddess exerted a bit of will and released the blossom which continued to hang in the air. In between blinks a perfect copy of Oriasta appeared, the floating azure flower now nestled behind her ear. ”Do what you can to help these people,” the real Oriasta said to her doppelganger, ”I know you can’t do much. But in times like this, something is always better than nothing.”

Fauxriasta nodded and smiled. ”I’ll do what I can. And we’ll wait for you to come back,” she said, placing a hand on the guardsman’s shoulder.

Oriasta smiled back. ”Alright, open the gate.”

As the Lunar and the Goddess entered the Demon City proper, Fauxriasta turned to the gate guard and smiled, ”Alright, luv, where do we start?”

[Odd_Canuck]

Or Better than Kings, Gods

Generating a map of Bartertown on the table, Punch comments "Could come from Desert, up docks, into town. Docks empty except Here, Here and few here." while pointing at the North, South and centermost position respectively. Adding detail and scale to the map, Punch highlights the current positions of the walls, and everyone can start to get an impression of the miles-wide city layout. "Areas not on main road, or near The Forge, The School, the Arena or others empty." "Walls are tough." is added almost as an afterthought.

"Indeed, even a raid on nothing but the sand docks would cause chaos and panic. I would advise you do NOT try to take cover in this wooded area to the south however. It's something of a... disposal ground, testing ground and lately extreme obstacle course. Of course I would not dream of dictating strategy or tactics to one of the Dawn, so instead let me just provide some of the standard warnings. Avoid touching the trees, they're poison. Don't touch the leaves that fall from them, they're poison. The copious plants that look like watermelons? They are, but I'd suggest you avoid them, as they eat people. And trees... and demons, and pretty much anything they can get to. They're also immune to poisons. If you see a pool that looks like pure water, don't touch it. One of the faeblooded artificers tried to make wyldwater and was only partly successful, so there's only a moderate chance it will kill you instantly. If you see a red puddle oozing across the ground, don't touch it. Another artificer named Daniels tried to create a puppy, and they're quite territorial and will try to kill you. If you see a black puddle oozing however feel free to scratch it, it was his attempt to make kittens and they're rather friendly. Just make certain you're resistant to diseases when you do, they're plague bearers full of illnesses that will try to kill you. If you see a rainbow sheen anywhere, I'd suggest running away. One of the demon artificers was trying to make some of the rains of Herga sentient and was only partially successful. It will cause you to hallucinate, have it's way with you sexually, and then kill you. Oh, and if you see a 12 foot high chicken, don't worry it's real and not a hallucination. The chickens were an attempt of mine to breed animals adapted to this harsh environment. It does however breath fire and will attempt to kill and eat you. Oh and if you see a young woman with a book and a sword, I'd suggest being polite and walking away. She's an abyssal named Rose that can kill you. But probably won't eat you. Probably."

Creating the image of a pentagram with each solar at one of the points, an arrow flows from Jade to Bartrand labeled (Wyld Pocket and/or PSV). Another arrow flows from Marius to Punch labeled (demanse/manse tickets), with a host of small thin arrows spreading out from Punch's point to a cloud that appears with the label (Other Exalted). A third arrow appears between Forsaken Sword and Punch labeled (Attack of Goodwill?) "What do you want of us? How help? How build reputations for all?" Punch asks, indicating Bartrand as well as himself.

"Also Manses. How many? What limits? What requirements?"

"As an additional note, given the rather heavy attention that is being paid to Exalted in these circumstances, particularly Solar Exalted, I would Highly Suggest that there be some sort of public face and/or activity for both ourselves as a group and for individuals. Openly ruling a town or city is fine, you can understand where that Exalted sits and what they are trying to do, people don't spare that much effort into investigating it. However when someone is clearly powerful, and going to great lengths to remain secret in all they do it draws people in, makes them convinced there is some secret there worth finding out. If I may make so bold as to offer a suggestion, how about if we have a public face of an organization dedicated to building the infrastructure needed to survive and thrive here? It is an Exalted worthy goal, gives us a public and obvious reason to be interested in infrastructure of all kinds, both in building it for ourselves and others but also in examining what others have done. "

[AmberVael]

After Tea at Amalion's

"I would be happy to share your company further." Vana accepts Tewi's invitation politely. "And I would like to speak with you as well, Zsofika." She adds.

"I have no desire to linger in the streets- perhaps we should move on to our destination swiftly?" The sorceress prompts. She'll follow Tewi, if he leads the way.